CORUS has been accused of 'rubbing salt in the wounds' of doomed Shotton steelworkers after it was revealed that the company is likely to make a billion pounds profit in the next two years.

CORUS has been accused of 'rubbing salt in the wounds' of doomed Shotton steelworkers after it was revealed that the company is likely to make a billion pounds profit in the next two years.

Last week the company rejected a rescue package to save 319 jobs at the plant.

It said the jobs had to go if the company was to start making a profit.

But a report by finance experts Credit Suisse says that the company will be worth #5bn by 2003 It is recommending Corus as a 'strong buy' to Stock Market players, and predicts that the firm will make massive profits in the future.

Stunned workers at Shotton facing the dole queue have slammed the timing of the report as sickening.

Peter Hughes, who attended the meeting last week on behalf of the TGWU when the rescue package was rejected, said morale couldn't get any lower.

'The timing of this is terrible. They are putting profit before people and rubbing salt in the wounds of workers who will be losing their jobs, ' he said.

'If Corus is going to make a billion-pound profit then why is it getting rid of hundreds of workers? 'I think that perhaps they are trying to paint a rosier picture for the workers who will be left with a job, but if they are going to make so much money then why can't they put together better packages for the ones that are going?' It is not the first time that Corus has come under fire from workers and union leaders.

They were outraged when it was revealed that payouts of more than #2 million had been given to Corus 'fat cats'.

Corus executive director Tony Pedder signalled the end of the cold strip mill and number two line at Shotton when he turned down a rescue package put together by union leaders at a meeting last week.

The consultation period for plans to axe a total of 6,000 jobs in Wales and the North of England officially ends on May 14, and Shotton workers will then face 90-day redundancy notices.